TECHNICAL FEATURE
JEN BENSON (with Sim Benson) Green Light ( Runner’s World )
Jen Benson is a runner,
writer, mum and co-author of
several guidebooks alongside
husband, Sim. These include Wild
Running (Wild Things Publishing),
The Adventurer’s Guide to Britain
(Bloomsbury), Amazing Family
Adventures (National Trust) and two
Day Walks books with Vertebrate
Publishing.
Jen and Sim are regular contributors
to Trail, Country Walking and Runner’s
World; routes editors and gear testers
at Trail Running magazine; gear
experts for The Ramblers’ Walk
magazine; and Ordnance Survey
GetOutside Champions. Jen has an
MSc in Sport & Exercise Medicine,
specialising in endurance sport.
www.adventureplaces.co.uk
Why we wrote ‘Green Light’, by Jen and Sim Benson
A
for every adventure from bikepacking and bouldering
s people who love the great outdoors, one of
to mountaineering and mountain marathons. We work
our greatest responsibilities must surely be to
closely with brands to make products better, carrying
look after it. From parking considerately - or,
even better, leaving the car at home - to supporting
out short- and long-term testing and offering feedback
conservation organisations, there’s so much we can all
on aspects such as fit, performance, durability and
sustainability.
do to help protect our wild places.
Particularly when we started reviewing gear, one
This responsibility doesn’t end with our impact
of the hardest things to find out was who made it.
on our immediate surroundings, though. We all know
the importance of having the right kit in allowing us
Were they working in good conditions, with decent
to enjoy our adventures as safely
pay and job security? Or were they
and comfortably as possible. And
We wanted to highlight some of working with toxic chemicals, in
dangerous buildings and without
the choices we make when we buy
the brands we felt were shining the basic human rights we take for
clothing and equipment directly
granted in our own work? Then
affect the places, people and
examples of great corporate
animals involved in its production.
responsibility, alongside those came other questions, such as
whether the animals reared for the
Unfortunately, despite increasing
that still have a way to go
production of natural materials
consumer awareness, poor
such as down and wool were well
practice is still rife in the clothing
cared-for, and whether the runoff from dyeing and
industry and many brands are still putting profit before
waterproofing was damaging wildlife in rivers and
corporate decency. As customers, however, we have
the power to drive positive change through our buying
oceans. We were astounded by the lack of transparency
throughout the supply chain and the ability of so many,
decisions and it’s essential we use that power well.
from manufacturers to customers, to turn a blind eye
Sim and I are fortunate enough, in the name of
to how things are made as long as the price is right.
work, to balance writing about exploring beautiful
The RRP of a product is easy to find, but the true cost
places with the testing, reviewing and development of
outdoor kit. Over the years we’ve tested out products
of its manufacture is so much harder to quantify.
10 Outdoor focus | winter 2019